Handling device.



J. M. LOHR.

HANDLING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED Aue.27. 1915.

1,173,444. Patented Feb. 29,1916.

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JAMES MARTIN LOHR, OF I'll-IACA, NEW YORK.

HANDLING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb 2%, fraifi.

Application filed. August 27, 1915. Serial No. 47,716.

(DEDICATED TO THE PUBLIC.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES MARTIN Lorna, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Ithaca, county of Tompkins, State of New York, and an employee of the United States Bureau of Mines, have invented certain new and useful Improve- 'ments in Handling Devices, of which the following is a specification.

This application is made under the act of March 3, 1883, c. 143 (U. S. Stat, 22, p. 625), and the invention described therein may be used by the Government, or any of its officers or employees in prosecution of Work for the Government, or by any other person in the United States, without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The subject-matter of this application is disclosed but not claimed in my co-pending application for a handling device, filed Aug; 27, 1915, Serial No. 47,717.

This invention relates to handling devices, and, though not limited to that use, refers more particularly to means for handling crucibles such as those used for melting metals, and its object is to provide a device of strong and simple construction which may be readily and securely applied to a crucible either when positioned in a furnace or to be placed therein, the engaging members whereof are pivoted at their upper portions giving bottom and lateral support to the crucible when engaged therewith and which may be easily disengaged without endangering the crucible or its contents.

Another object is to supply the handling device with unitary means for adjusting its parts, locking the same in engaging or open position, and moving it with or without its load to any position desired.

This invention further consists in the details of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings illustrating one embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of the device, and Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing a modified form of the engaging members.

In the form illustrated in Fig. 1, two object-engaging members 1 and 2 of heat-resisting material are provided, the central upper portions being pivoted on the ends of a fulcrum pin 3 which centrally extends through the terminal eye of a suspension link t, the aXis of said pin being in a straight line passing through the middle point between the planes of the lower part of the engaging members and parallel to the planes thereof. The engaging members are of similar size and of a width and height proportioned to the dimensions of the crucible or other object to be lifted, though obviously members adjustable, by well-known methods, to various sized objects might be used; The engaging members are preferably made in the form of continuous loops having parallel sides 5, a bottom bar 6 at right angles therewith, and top portions 7 of inverted V-SllfL-PG and angularly disposed inwardly with respect to the planes of the side portions which are normally in vertical position and parallel to each other. At points upon the sides 5 of each of the en gaging members, at a distance slightly greater than the height of the object to be lifted, is fixed a brace bar 8 of the same material as that used for the engaging members. The said brace bars are rigid with the engaging members and are provided centrally with pivot portions 9 for a link 10 and lever 11, respectively, which are confined thereon by pins, shoulders, or, preferably, collars 12. The link 10 at the end opposite the pivot point terminates in a fanshaped portion 13 provided centrally with an aperture for a pivot pin 1% and on the outer circumference with notches 15, 16. The lever 11 is pivoted at its inner end on the pin 14 and by means of a series of laterally attached apertured lugs 17, 18, and 19, supports a locking rod 20 provided at its lower end with a tooth 21 for engaging in the notches of the link 10. Abutting the topmost lug 19 is a coil spring 22 the lower end of which extends through a hole in the locking rod and normally tends to move said rod downwardly into locking position. At the upper end of the lever 11 upon a pivot pin 23 is mounted a rocking lever 24, the lower end of which is connected with the locking rod by a pivot pin 25. The parts described are all constructed of heat-resisting material and the portions grasped by the hand of the operator are heat-insulated.

In Fig. 2, is shown a modified type of engaging member adapted for handling crucibles of the tapered type. The bottom portions 5 of the side members 5, in this form of the device, are bent inwardly to conform to the downward taper of the crucible, the bottom-supporting bars 6 being correspondingly shortened. In all other respects this form of the invention isidentical with that shown in Fig. 1 and described in detail above. The engaging members of this type of apparatus, likewise, may be in the form of continuous loops or may have interrupted bottom bars.

In manipulating this design of handling device, the operator may regulate the height with one hand by adjusting the free end of a pulley system to which the device is connected through the link 4, while placing the apparatus in position by means of the other hand on the grip portion of the lever 11. By compressing the rocking lever, 24, against the handle the tooth 21 is withdrawn from the upper notch 15 and the handle may then be pushed down until the tooth is opposite the lower notch 16 into which it looks upon the release of the rocking lever. Through this action the engaging members will have been swung oppositely about the fulcrum 3 to their open or engaging position. The length and angular arrangement of the link and lever system is so proportioned that the engaging members in the spread position will just clear the crucible, when lowered. When spread and brought over the crucible, the device is lowered until the bottom bars of both loops are far enough below the bottom of the crucible to clear it, provision being made for this by the use of a crucible block of sufficient height. The locking tooth is then withdrawn from the notch 16 by pressure on the rocking lever 24, the lever arm 11 is raised, and, when the locking tooth is opposite the notch 15, the rocking lever is released and the device is again locked in the position first described. The raising of the lever closes the engaging members about the crucible and then by means of the pulley system the device, together with the firmly held crucible, is raised. The suspension means and lever 11 permit the placing of the load Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the in any position desired, and the handling device is then disengaged by spreading the ing from the actual invention, which is pointed out by the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A handling device comprising suspension means, a pair of crucible loops flexibly connected therewith, having side portions conforming to the shape of the crucible, upper portions of inverted V-shape and inclined to the general plane of the loops, and unitary operating means pivotally connected with each of the loops between the point of suspension of said loops and the top of the crucible for adjusting and latching said loops and moving the device as a whole.

2. A handling device comprising suspension means, a pair of crucible loops, flexibly connected therewith, having side portions conforming to the shape of the crucible upper portions of inverted V-shape and inclined to the general plane of the loops, and operating elements pivotally connected with each of the loops and having pivotal and interlocking engagement with each other.

8. A handling device comprising a pair of crucible loops having bottom, side and top portions, suspension means therefor, brace bars extending across each of the engaging members and having their ends attached to the opposite upper side portions thereof, cooperating interlocking elements pivoted on each of said brace bars, one of said elements terminating in a handle bar.

4. A handling device comprising a pair of open object-engaging members, suspension means pivotally engaging the central top portions of said members, brace bars extending across each of the engaging members near the upper central portions thereof, an operating link pivoted centrally upon one of said brace bars and an operating lever pivoted centrally upon the other brace bar, a pivot pin connecting the said link and lever, a notched segment on said link, and

a spring-pressed locking bar on said lever for cooperation with said notched segment to latch the engaging members in open or closed position. v

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

JAMES MARTIN LOHR.

Washington, D. 0. 

